The Bell Jar

Sylvia Plath was an American author, most famous for her confessional poetry published in The Colossus and Other Poems and Ariel. Born in Massachusetts, Plath graduated from Smith College and later the University of Cambridge. She was married to Ted Hughes, an English poet who allegedly abused her and with whom she had two children. Plath, sadly, decided to take her own life in 1963 after suffering from clinical depression for years.

Besides her poetry, for which she is most popular, Plath wrote The Bell Jar, her semi-autobiographical novel, and the only work in that format. In the book, she explores themes of mental illness through the main character, who resembles her in many ways. Being her only novel, The Bell Jar has a special place in the hearts of her fans, so let’s explore it in more detail.

Exploring what happens in The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

As mentioned, Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar is her only novel. It was originally released under the name Victoria Lucas in 1963 but was later re-released under her real name for the first time in 1967. It’s a roman à clef, meaning that it’s about actual people but with changed names—for example, the young woman protagonist resembles Plath due to her struggles with mental illness.

The Bell Jar follows Esther Greenwood, a 19-year-old high-school student who goes to New York City to work at a fashion magazine. Esther’s life is overshadowed by her struggles to fit in with the social scene while also making friends with two other young women, Doreen and Betsy. After harrowing events straight from bad dreams, she suffers a mental breakdown and visits Dr. Gordon, who introduces her to sleeping pills and shock treatment at a mental institution.

Sylvia brilliantly ties in mental health, isolation, and identity

Plath wrote The Bell Jar in the form of flashbacks. As such, we get to understand Esther better through her views on societal roles and womanhood in general. In many ways, The Bell Jar is a case study of what it was like to be a young woman in America in the 1950s. It talks about societal expectations of women, sex, pregnancy, and the inevitable constraints of marriage in that era.

On the other hand, The Bell Jar also discusses mental health, unlike most other works of fiction at that time. Modern psychiatrists studied the case of Esther Greenwood and her issues with mental illness and subsequent suicide attempt. Eerily enough, it perfectly resembles the author herself, as Plath’s life was also plagued by the same problems.

Main Characters in The Bell Jar

Like all great books, The Bell Jar is best viewed through its interesting themes and fitting characters. And since we’ve already mentioned societal roles and mental health, let’s now focus on the main cast of the book.

Esther Greenwood

Esther is the main character of The Bell Jar. She is an English student from Boston who gets a one-month internship at a fashion magazine in New York City under her boss, Jay Cee. During her stay in NYC, Esther lives in the Amazon hotel together with other women working at the magazine. Plath describes her as a hardworking and high-achieving student. Nevertheless, she is traumatized by the death of her father when she was eight years old.

Buddy Willard

Esther’s high school boyfriend, Buddy Willard, is a medical student and her primary love interest. However, Esther finds out that he isn’t a virgin, damaging their relationship. And after he gets tuberculosis, she finds it hard to break up with him. He wants to marry Esther and mold her into a woman like his mother, which Esther despises, eventually rejecting his proposal.

Dr. Gordon

Before seeing Dr. Nolan at the mental institution, Esther meets Dr. Gordon. He is a handsome man but a very self-centered one. He subjects Esther to shock therapy that deeply traumatizes her.

Joan Gilling

Also having dated Buddy Willard, Joan is Esther’s old acquaintance. They meet again at the mental institution, and they serve as rivals to one another during their stay. She is a lesbian, having sex with other female patients. Joan eventually commits suicide.

Doreen

Doreen is Esther’s friend and colleague at the fashion magazine in New York City. She also lives in the Amazon hotel, and she is represented as a kind of rebel. Esther enjoys her confident persona, although it can get her in trouble.

Mrs. Willard

Mrs. Willard is Buddy’s mother. She is a rather conservative woman whose views on female roles in society and sexuality don’t match those of Esther. Nevertheless, she is determined for Buddy to marry Esther. Unlike Esther, Joan enjoys her company as it provides her with safety.

Marco

Marco is a Peruvian man who takes Esther to a party. However, he assaults her and tries to rape her.

Mrs. Greenwood

Mrs. Greenwood is Esther’s mother. Although she deeply cares for her child, she constantly tries to influence her to come to terms with conservative female roles in society.

Philomena Guinea

Philomena Guinea is the woman who financed Esther’s college scholarship. She also pays for Esther’s stay in the expensive medical institution she finds herself in, as she, also at one point in her life, had issues with mental health.

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FAQ

What is the main message of The Bell Jar?

In essence, The Bell Jar questions conservative roles in society. Instead of conforming to them, Esther goes on a journey to forge her own identity and not become an average housewife.

Is The Bell Jar hard to read?

The Bell Jar is a rather readable book, and at times, it’s very funny. Of course, some might stray away from it due to the dark themes it explores.

Is The Bell Jar a feminist novel?

Yes, it’s safe to say that The Bell Jar is a feminist novel. However, it’s not feminist because it was written by a feminist, Sylvia Plath, but because it actually deals with the issues that are important to women and individuals in general.

What happens at the end of The Bell Jar?

At the end of The Bell Jar, we are left with a scene in which Esther is examined by doctors so that they can determine whether she can come out of the mental institution. Spoiler—at the beginning of the novel, it is hinted that she got out and had a baby.